


Masquerade

by Dagaan



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Puella Magi Tart Magica: The Legend of “Jeanne d’Arc”
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Magireco AU, as a treat, fake dating AU go, probably a little a drama later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28868835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dagaan/pseuds/Dagaan
Summary: A surprise call from her family, the house Visconti, prompts Liz to come up with an excuse to avoid being badgered for an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, her options are slim. Fortunately, Corbeau is okay with this.
Relationships: Liz Hawkwood/Corbeau (Tart Magica)
Kudos: 7





	1. Arranged

**Author's Note:**

> Setting this in Magireco AU-but-not-really! It’s probably best to assume nothing I write is connected unless stated otherwise (though you can pretend if you want).  
> Anyway, basically Darc, Liz, and Corbeau live together in Kamihama, Arc 1 timeline. Corbeau is an ex-White Feather, and has been moved in for a few months.

Liz sat on the couch, suffering through a sudden call from home her family’s house. It wasn’t her home; truthfully, it never really was. However, the call was apparently “urgent” and of the “utmost importance”, so she made the time for it when neither Darc or Corbeau were home. Might as well get it over with, hopefully it’s not too much like pulling teeth.

Turns out they wanted to set her up in an arranged marriage. Liz nearly dropped the phone in shock; yes, it’s probably best her two housemates are out. She felt a sneer curl her lip as she half listened while they explained it was for the good of the family name and would help build their prestige back up after —pointedly — her Grandfather destroyed it. What cheek.

Liz argued back that no, she wouldn’t agree to this. No, she doesn’t want to meet him. No, she doesn’t care that the other family is a well known and long-standing Italian name.

God, it’d be nice if they’d listen to her for once. She tried to think of something, anything, to use as an excuse, and not just a temporary one; to not have to got through this again would be a blessing indeed.

—

Corbeau finished up her grocery shopping faster than expected; the stores were surprisingly empty, especially for this time of day. She hoisted her bags, shifting the straps to stop digging into her fingers as she made her way back home, thinking about how she might get to be alone with her black beauty for a few moments... before she gets annoyed and leaves for her room, but still! Ah, she’s so pretty.

Small smile on her lips, Corbeau opened the door to their boarding house and was caught off guard by a very irritated sounding Liz. Clearly she’s on the phone, and not with someone she enjoys talking to.

The taller magical girl peeked into the room, but Liz simply sat glaring at the coffee table with a sour expression. “No I— I understand but no— I- will- will you just—“ 

Corbeau shuffled quietly past, making her way to the kitchen. Evidently, whoever is on the other end of the phone is not someone she wants to meet. Maybe she’ll just leave Liz alone this evening, she’s probably had enough annoyances. Too bad, really. She’d have to save her fun for another day.

A few more stumbling starts and slight pauses, the black haired girl’s frustration was practically palpable.

“I’m— I’m already seeing someone!” Liz almost shouted, making Corbeau jump.

The white haired magical girl nearly dropped the grocery bags when she processed the words. Her black beauty? Already taken? Well no, that didn’t really make sense. Liz never mentioned anyone even to Darc, and Darc herself is pretty clearly dating Melissa, so Corbeau would probably pick up on a romantic interest if Liz had one. However, judging by the long pause, the person on the other end of the phone was equally shocked. Corbeau set the groceries down and trotted back to the doorway, poking her head into the room again to catch the end of the conversation.

“Yes. Yes she’s... nice. I’ll— okay, I’ll see what I can do.” A pause. “Yes. Goodbye.” The black haired magical girl hung up, tossing the cordless home phone to the other side of the couch and slumping, pushing the palms of her hands to her eyes.

“So, you’re... already seeing someone?” Corbeau piped up after a moment, causing Liz to flinch. Maybe she didn’t notice her come in after all.

The shorter girl took a deep breath, before expelling an equally deep sigh. “No.”

“Ah, well a little lie won’t hurt them.” Corbeau turned to get back to her groceries, somewhat relived to hear confirmation.

“They want to meet her.” Liz’s voice is muffled in the other room; she’s likely talking through her hands.

“Oh.” Corbeau removed her head from the fridge. “That... might be difficult.”

A grunt in response. Still, it was probably one of the more normal conversations they’ve had, so though the situation was unfortunate, Corbeau chalked it up as a win.

Groceries away, the white haired girl wandered back out to the living room, sitting down in a chair across from Liz and giving a low hum, trying to think of a solution. “Could you ask Darc? She’s nice, I’m sure your family would like her.”

Liz pulled a hand from her face to glare slightly at Corbeau. “... And how well do you see that working out? Darc couldn’t even lie about what she ate for breakfast.”

Corbeau snorted. “True.” 

“What...” Liz cleared her throat, mumbling a quiet “God, I can’t believe I’m saying this.” while she rubbed her hands down her face again, leaning forward in her seat. “What if... would you pretend, and emphasis on ‘pretend’, to be my girlfriend and meet my family. To be clear, I am not asking you out. But I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

Corbeau grinned, eyes lighting up. “Of course! Why, my black beauty, if you thought I was charming you could’ve said so sooner.”

The dark haired girl grimaced, evidently already regretting her decision. “Do not call me that around them, or maybe I really will just agree to their arranged marriage idea.” 

The smile dropped off Corbeau’s face. “You... really? I mean, that’s what they wanted?”

Liz gave a slight “hmph”, slumping into the back of the couch. “They’re...” A shadow seemed to pass her eyes. “... Difficult, to say the least. They only ever talk to me if there’s something they want.”

“Well,” the taller girl scratched her chin. “I am a de Bavière, so maybe that will help. Family name and all that.”

“Just try not to make a fool of yourself. Or me.” The shorter girl took out her phone, going to look up flight times. 

“I’d never!” Corbeau scoffed lightheartedly, grinning at the blank look Liz gave her in return.

This would certainly be an interesting trip, to say the least. The white haired girl wasn’t sure she should be looking forward to it, but the thought of spending a few days being close with her shadow wielder was certainly exciting.


	2. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flight time! Flying from Japan to Italy is apparently about 14 hours. That’s a long time.

Darc drove the two to the airport, a little upset that she wasn’t able to go on this “vacation” with them. The shadow user had begrudgingly shared the details, stating multiple times that she and Corbeau were not dating. The blonde girl’s green eyes still sparkled at how they were “getting along so much better now!”, to which Corbeau agreed whole-heartedly. Liz didn’t have the heart to argue.

They took their bags out of the back of the car, got hugs from Darc (Liz glared at Corbeau over her head and got a wink and a blown kiss in response), and headed into the airport. The two of them passed through customs fine, albeit slowly. Moving to the waiting bay for their plane, Corbeau held a hand out to Liz as they walked. 

The black haired girl looked down at it, then up to Corbeau, frowning.

“If we’re going to seem convincing to your family, you should probably get used to holding my hand.” She reasoned, wiggling her fingers a bit.

Liz sighed, taking her hand loosely a moment later, prompting the taller girl to break out in a grin and squeeze her hand back. She almost seemed to be shaking. The dark haired girl tried not to frown.

“If we’re going to seem convincing, you’re going to have to not act giddy whenever we hold hands.” Liz berated, not looking at her companion.

“Ah, but my black beauty; I feel I must be the luckiest person in the world right now!” Corbeau cooed, pulling up the other girl’s hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles to emphasize the point.

Liz couldn’t help but think that this was going to be a very long plane ride.

— 

Other than Corbeau falling asleep on the plane and leaning on her, the flight to Italy went rather smoothly. Liz herself was also able to get a little sleep. They both changed into nicer clothing once they were through security on the other side, in preparation for meeting Liz’s relatives. 

They’d sent a limo to pick them up from the airport.

“So... your family... who are we meeting, exactly?” Corbeau asked once they were on the road. The privacy offered by the drive seemed like a good opportunity to get some information; really, she probably should’ve asked sooner. 

“Most likely we’ll be seeing my Aunt and Uncle, as they own the property. I have a few other relatives who also live in the estate, but we’ll probably only see them briefly.” Liz swept a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to ignore Corbeau’s arm over her shoulder as they sat in the escort car. “That’s what I’m... well, not really hoping for, but I’d rather see as few of them as possible.”

The dark haired girl shifted, not wanting to lean back in her seat too much. The limo her family had sent to pick them up was nice —certainly better than taking the shuttle — but she couldn’t get comfortable, unable to shake the feeling of dread sneaking into her conscience.

Corbeau gave a low hum, hugging Liz’s shoulders lightly. “Hey, try and relax a little. We’re not there yet.”

“I’m just...” Liz huffed. “I’m really not looking forward to this. I just can’t see it working out right.” She regretted the words as they left her mouth. She didn’t want to open up to Corbeau, and certainly not like this.

Corbeau took her arm back, shifting to face the shorter girl. “Liz, don’t worry. It’ll be alright! I may not know your family, but I do like you, so that part will be easy.” She gave a grin. “Plus, look on the bright side— you get to be close with me for three days!”

Liz glanced over at the taller girl, expression neutral. “I can’t think of anything worse.” She said as she looked back out the window, voice flat, prompting a laugh out of Corbeau who wrapped her arm back over her shoulders.

“Well after this, we can go on a nice vacation. Anywhere you want.” Her voice took on a husky tone. “And we can be alone together instead. Better?”

Liz snorted. “Anywhere?”

“Anywhere at all!”

“I want to be as far from you as possible.” She dead panned. Sometimes talking to Corbeau felt easy; they did play off each other well. Maybe it’d be alright.

“My, are you breaking up with me already?” The white haired girl feigned shock.

“We’re not dating, Corbeau.” 

“Ah, your words cut deep, my black beauty!” The taller girl leaned into her a bit more, bumping her temple to the top of Liz’s head. “I only hope your blades cut deeper.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” The shorter girl elbowed her back a bit. “You should probably know a bit about my house before we get there.”

Corbeau pouted a bit, disappointed her fun was over. Despite her advances, Liz did feel a bit better after some banter with the often frustrating magical girl. Maybe it was just the feeling of familiarity; although Italy was where she’d lived until she was 13, at which point she’d been sent to a boarding school in France, she felt more comfortable around the white haired girl. Certainly better than her last trip to the house, at any rate.

They passed the rest of the drive with Liz telling Corbeau about what her family was like, focusing mainly on who she expected to meet, as well as the general layout of the grounds. The white haired girl sat in silence, though she kept her arm over the smaller girl’s shoulders.

Pulling through the gate to the estate driveway, Liz sat up a little straighter.

“Well, we’re here.” She took a steadying breath.

Corbeau rubbed the black haired girl’s shoulder but pulled her arm back, giving her a reassuring smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We meet the family next time! Chapter 3 is also almost done, but chapters after that may be a little slower... we’ll see!


	3. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Family time!

Corbeau put an arm casually around Liz’s waist, hand resting on her hip, causing the shorter girl to tense. She nearly elbowed her, before she remembered this was supposed to be a front.

“Hey, it’s alright. You already told them, remember?” The taller girl spoke quietly, as though attempting to reassure her girlfriend.

Liz took a deep breath, forcing her shoulders to relax. “Right, I know, it’s just... Thanks.” She mumbled back. God, she almost blew it immediately.

The white haired girl gave her a brief smile before turning back to the people she was meeting; Liz’s Aunt and Uncle, she assumed. They were both tall and well dressed, his hair black, though greying at the temples, and hers a dark brown. Corbeau assumed Liz was actually related to her Uncle as they bore a faint resemblance, while her Aunt had married in.

Introductions went fine, with Corbeau bowing politely and giving her full name. It seemed she knew how to play this game; Liz was grateful for that, at least. Her Aunt and Uncle were equally polite, though they did cast the occasional funny glance at their niece. Guess they weren’t entirely happy with their plans being messed up— or they hadn’t thought Liz was telling the truth on the phone and were beginning to doubt themselves now. Well, she supposed they were right, but the dark haired girl wasn’t about to tell them that.

Introductions aside, they had arrived just after noon and were invited for a late lunch to accompany their chat. 

The conversation was somewhat relaxed, however, Liz was honestly not enjoying it in the slightest. An awkward atmosphere seemed to hang in the air despite the casual way they interacted. Corbeau’s company was surprisingly the most comforting part, although the shorter girl wasn’t sure she if that was due to her being less forward since they’d arrived or if she was grateful for the familiarity.

With the subtle looks Liz was getting from her family, the dark haired girl hoped that she just came across as feeling awkward about being affectionate in public. She was having a hard time getting used to Corbeau’s hands on her waist or when she should grab her arm— being in front of other people added a bit of an extra mental block to that as well. Liz’s family likely didn’t see her as a very caring person, so it was probably believable. Maybe they just thought she was cold. Still, a small part of her was worried they saw through the facade.

“So... ah, Corbeau, was it?” Liz’s Uncle cleared his throat. “How long have you two been seeing each other for?” He glanced at his niece as he spoke.

Right to the point, of course. Liz kept a straight face, refusing to give a reaction, and tried to think of a timeframe. The question wasn’t directed at her, but maybe she could help... what made sense, though? How long would they expect? 

“Oh, about... hm, 9 months now, is it?” Corbeau glanced down at Liz.

They hadn’t actually spoken about this yet; the shorter girl was suddenly thankful Corbeau was good at thinking on her feet. She remembered begrudging that when they fought earlier. “Yes, I believe that’s correct.” 

Well, that was probably closer to when they’d met than when Corbeau had even moved in, but it’d do. At least they’d spoken a few times by then, even if it wasn’t on anything approximating good terms.

“Might I inquire to how you met?” Her Aunt added, likely trying to sound casual.

The white haired girl smiled, probably thinking about how they’d met in an alleyway trying to kill each other. Liz tried not to frown, but ended up grimacing a bit. She covered it up with a cough.

Corbeau hummed, scratching a her shoulder. “Well, it was... summer, yes? We’re both part of this club — it’s a multi-university group, mainly online, lots of people you can ask for help on anything — and our schools had a meetup.” She paused, taking a sip of water. “For our sport groups. Not the same activity, but just to have a bigger meet-and-greet, you know. Make some connections with people of a similar interest; it’s especially helpful for the people new in town. We met there and immediately got along.” She finished with another sunny smile, this time directed at Liz.

The black haired girl kept a blank expression as though this was absolutely how it happened, though Corbeau’s tone was a little embarrassing. The white haired girl almost seemed like she wanted to coo over her as much as possible. She probably did.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or laugh at the way she twisted it. They had most definitely not “gotten along” when they first met; at least not from her perspective. Corbeau probably saw it differently. The “club” of course, was “being a magical girl”, so her story wasn’t entirely false.

“Ah, I see. Well, that is good to hear that you have been getting along since you met.” Liz’s Uncle said, before turning the conversation towards various sports.

The rest of the evening was passed mostly through small talk. A housemaid showed Corbeau to her room, Liz following behind mostly just to see where in the house they stuck her. It ended up being rather far from her own room, down a floor and in the opposite wing— or, it would be far if the black haired girl couldn’t shadow warp. The ability was certainly useful some days.

The maid gave a bow and wandered off, leaving the two of them alone in the hall. Corbeau seemed to relax once she was gone; Liz hadn’t noticed the tension in the taller girl’s shoulders until she’d let it out.

“Well, I haven’t had to act fancy like that for a while.” She grinned at the shorter girl for the first time that evening. “Did I do alright?”

“You... yes, you were fine.” Liz shifted her weight from one foot to the other, suddenly feeling a little awkward. She probably just needed sleep. “And, ah... thank you. For the cover story. In hindsight we should’ve come up with one before getting here.”

“No problem.” The white haired girl gently grabbed Liz’s hand, pleased when the shorter girl didn’t immediately pull away. “I’m glad it worked out, anyway.”

They stood in silence for a moment, enjoying the quiet, though they were both exhausted from the long day.

Corbeau’s eyes suddenly lit up, posture straightening as she took a step closer, bringing the shadow user’s knuckles to her lips. “So... we’re at my room now. Alone. Think anyone would notice if you didn’t go back to yours?” She raised her eyebrows, a slight smile on her mouth.

Liz glared, pulling her hand back and transforming into her magical girl outfit. She was much too tired to deal with this right now. “Behave.”

“Oh, a fight first?” The taller girl rolled her shoulders, showing her teeth and giving a low hum at the back of her throat. “I’ll try and entertain you, of course.”

“Goodnight, Corbeau.” The dark haired girl sunk into the floor, disappearing into the darkness.

“Goodnight, my black beauty.” Corbeau whispered to the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Should I tag this slow burn?  
> Anyway, next chapter might be a little bit. I’ll try and finish it semi-quick, though...!
> 
> It’ll be day 1/3 next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there’s chapter 1! There are a few things I’m not 100% happy with, but the set up isn’t the important part anyway... maybe?  
> Chapter 2 is almost done, but hopefully I don’t take too long fluffing it out. Gonna try and get most of the way through ch3 too, though I do have it started (as of now).


End file.
